Win 8.1 Sucks Beyond Belief

You're not alone in your contempt.....

http://www.pcpro.co.uk/blogs/2014/07/11/windows-easy-transfer-%25e2%2580%2593-not-so-easy-in-windows-8-1

I agree, and I'm a computer guy.

First time I ever setup a win8 machine for a client, I wanted to throw it out the window into the street after 1/2 an hour! And I studied up on it for weeks ahead of time! I have been working in the field for 35 years and I HATE windumb 8.

What I hate even more is the BIOS changes to keep root-kits from infecting widers systems. It limits what OSs I can replace it with. I have been a big fan of Linux systems for more than 10 years now and having to screw with UEFI boot garbage is sacrilegious.

This is an old news article about the guy in MS that "created" win8:

why-steven-sinofsky-is-out-at-microsoft

From another blog I read, they suggest a application called ClassicShell.

I found their web page, it's freeware: classicshell.net

I have no personal experience with this. But it's intended for win8/winX GUI change.

I never liked win7, so I'm still using winXP, only because win98SE/win2000 would not run newer applications. The annual tax program, and firefox updates being the main reason. About the only good thing with these newest OSs is not messing with driver support (the little I've messed with win7).

But it seems every one is going to the new GUI per MS (I believe because MS makes all the build tools for their products, thus enforcing old OS incompatibility). My favorite browser is firefox. Version 36 does a wholesale change of how the options are opened, instead of a popup window, it's now a tab that graphically has changed (for the sake of change), and stuff moved around. I really don't like relearning how to use any apps and OSs. So I've heard of a replacement for FF, called Pale Moon, maintains the old GUI. But you always give up something....darn.

I use classic shell with win 8.1 and it makes it a whole lot better to use, gives back the win 7 desktop.

If you want more info on Linux, have a look here.

You can try it on the same computer as your windows without prejudicing your existing set up, have a read here.

You might care to subscribe to Gizmos as they provide a lot of useful info.

I have a Windows 98 Installation CD I can sell you.

Or maybe I'll auction it off to the highest bidder.

Windows 10 is supposed to be released later this year. They claim it's more like Win 7, which I find easy to use.

I'm not a fan of Windows 8, but I just use it in Desktop mode. This way I avoid the tiles layout and it functions more or less the same way as older versions.

Hitting the Window key + E will bring up the file explorer, so you should be able to locate your files.

I added shortcuts to commonly used programs (Chrome, Excel, Word, calculator, etc.) to the taskbar so I don't have to search around for them every time I need them. Like I said, I avoid the tile view at all costs!

Me too. That was the first thing I did, after reading a number of publications (none of them by Microsoft) giving ways to make an abortion into a sow's ear.

But that doesn't excuse the fact that they took a known operating system and went out of their way to make it unusable and complicated for no reason.

My keyboard has no "Windows" key.

Tried to play a video DVD last night. It took ma 1/2 hour to figure out how to do it.

APPS, I hate apps!

No Windows key?? That stinks. Well, you can at least add shortcuts to the file explorer to your taskbar.

I can't stand that key because it's far too easy to hit accidentally. When hit, it jumps you out of your program and completely derails your train of thought.

I've got an original IBM PC AT keyboard that I still use. It has no 'Windows' key. It has the original DIN connector that I adapted to PS/2 connector. These days I have that plugged into a PS/2 to USB adapter that works like a charm!

APPS. I'm with you there Pal! They require a completely separate installation code from the usual applications in add-remove. Why? Why are APPS different?

"My keyboard has no "Windows" key."

You can use "Ctrl+Esc" instead.

That shortcut is not a replacement for the Windows key + other key functions. It only does what pushing the Windows key alone does, taking you back to the tile screen, which I don't think lyn wants!

The icon in the lower left corner does the same as the windows key (which I have never used until today). The explorer icon is the third one from the left on the taskbar. I have no problem with it. Your pictures should be in your pictures folder (unless you opted for the drive in the cloud). If you did, use the app "Photos".

"Tried to play a video DVD last night. It took ma 1/2 hour to figure out how to do it."

I put one in and it played itself. Maybe you should have figured it out yourself intead of having ma do it.

http://www.infoworld.com/article/2607741/microsoft-windows/microsoft-confirms-it-s-dropping-windows-8-1-support.html

All the more reason to HATE Bill Gates!

Maybe if we just 'let' Microsoft tax us each year for use of their OS, it won't 'force' them into dorking with the OS to ensure planned obsolescence that requires upgrading to the newest editions to keep their obscene cash flow. That way, when they get something that actually works, doesn't piss off the users at every turn, and is reasonably secure against hacks, they can leave it in place and just let the cash roll in.

Lead in to the 'newest' Dire Straits song . . . (Money for Nothing O.S.)

I want my XP back. I want my XP back. <cue the drums, then the guitar>

Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it

You screw with the O.S. on the ol' PC

That ain't workin' that's the way you do it

Money for nothin' and your checks for free . . . .

(who wants to continue ? )

It won't be a tax. They will rent it to us. No resident OP, just permission to use their great stuff, if you pay, up front for it.

It's already started, Adobe leads the industry.

What Photoshop's Move to the Cloud Actually Means for You

You can bet that all the others will figure out that they can bleed us dry and make us say please in the bargain.

Actually I like the sound of tax better. We have become accustomed to paying taxes and getting precious little for it. When you rent something, you actually expect to be getting some value for that rent payment. This way we don't feel as bad about paying it.

LOL!

Why not just have the government should tack Windows on to Obama Care as a compulsory purchase?

I am not just a fan, I want to be a cyclone that would blow 8.1 to hell and beyond. My desk top developed some issues, which no one could figure out. I was persuaded to change to 8.1 saying the problem could be with the till then finely working earlier Windows.

I have all manner of troubles including all that you have listed. The joke is that the old issue returned added to the new ones of 8.1.

I finally tracked it to the wireless mouse. There was nothing wrong at all with the old windows.

I am a mild man not given to 4 lettered vocabulary. 8.1 is changing all that.

I am told that you can set 8.x up to look and react like Win7. Just how similar it really is I cannot say...nor can I tell you how to do it. Someone here will know, or look on the web....

Like here:-

make-windows-8-8-1-look-like-windows-7-xp

I've gone to Ubuntu, had enough of Bill Gates.

You can get some of the look back by right clicking on the bottom of the screen when in desktop mode, and going to properties.

Thanks, I may look in to some of these patches.

It's just a shame we're forced to pay for something no one likes that isn't user friendly!

Not sure what you're complaining about. My personal laptop at home which I've had for over a year has windows 8.1 and my surface pro 3 only took me about a week to figure out the differences. It functions are much improved over 7, plus if you want to work in 7 just go into it. My ten year year daughter picked it up right away on here tablet. The apps are are great idea there are many useful tools free to install. I think you guys need to give it some time. Pictures are easy go to document file then picture file just like 7. Both of mine came with a media player so I had no problems using cd or dvds. Office also is much improved.

You're the only person out of the dozens I've heard from who actually has had ANYTHING positive to say about it.

I agree!

All the guys in my office and others I know in the computer field think it's a big step forward. Heck 8.1 is all they use at my kid school the kids don't seem to have any problems. Maybe they should have made two version 8.1 and one for Old Fuddy duddies. LOL sorry Laugh out loud for those to old to know the new lingo.

I guess it's a matter of perspective. For me, I can't wait a week to become productive again. If I can't pick it up and learn the differences in 15 minutes, I get pissed because now I have to use my time to learn something that should have been an obvious extension to the previous version.

For me, the computer is a tool, not entertainment (other than CR4 of course, but CR4 can also be a tool) and when the tool doesn't make me more efficient, I'm ready to throw it in the trash.

With everything there is a learning curve. Windows 8.1is pretty basic if you know how to use a "smart" phone. Maybe some haven't gotten passed the old flip phone stage yet. ; )

The surface pro 3 I have works great. I use it for field inspections at the multistage projects I have. I take pictures, sign documents in the field with it. Then when I return back to the office dock it I use it to draw designs, write up safety and environmental plans, etc. With windows 8.1 it's a much more useful tool then my laptops with 7 or xp. 7 and xp took me much longer to figure but once I did the benefits of 8.1 far out way it.

My major point is that there SHOULDN'T have to be a learning curve. With every new edition of Office, they screw with it, moving stuff around and changing the way perfectly good methods of invoking various tools, fields, and functions worked. That was at least several weeks of frustration of having to re-learn all the new 'ways' of doing what had been very familiar things in these documents, under Office 97 and Office 2003.

It's udderly maddening. I'm glad you find these things handy to use. I am just frustrated beyond belief that they change things, but they don't get better. That's not progress, it's change for change's sake.

Yes, I still use my flip phone because I only have to charge it every two or three DAYS, it's small, rugged, and does all the things I need it to do. I would bust one of these mini-tablet phones in less than a day. It is not the tool I need or want. The tool should work for us, not the other way around.

I work primarily at a desk. I do a lot of web searching for components, I run Mentor Graphics DxDesigner and Expedition, do a lot PowerPoint 'engineering', write technical documents in Word with lots of graphics, figures, charts, and tables, use Excel for organizing BOM's, simple math analysis that doesn't require Mathcad or MatLAB and so on. Fortunately, my company is still on Win 7, but when I try to do almost anything on my wife's new laptop, I am ready to fling it against the wall.

Windows h8te is stupid difficult to use in a technical office environment. It's the wrong tool for real work. Microsoft designed 8 for all the non-work that goes on with computers. To use 8 in my kind of environment, you would have to invoke modes to make it look like Win 7. Again, fortunately, my company passed on Vista and went from NT to XP. I predict that they will pass on Windows h8te and wait for 10 or beyond before transitioning to the next O.S. as support for Win 7 goes away.

Cheers !

I use power point, excel, word, etc. on a daily basis with no problems in fact Office 2013 has many improvements over older programs plus easier to use. The up dated Office runs fine on window 7. So not sure why you are saying window 8 would interfer. Only difference is in window 8 you have an app tab and window 7 you have an icon. So not sure why the changes in office should effect you opinion of window 8 since office is a program. Plus window 8 gives you the opinion to work in window 7, takes a second to switch over. I also use Autocad and bluebearm which have some really neat improvements.

Agreed!

I still remember trying to spell check a document in Office 2007 after upgrading.

It was maddening.............................................................................................

Why would they hide the same F'ing function, with no improvements in functionality, two layers down in an obscure menu and try to tell us it has been IMPROVED?????????????

It's insane! There's no reason to do it, but for MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Regardless of what the single respondent who seems to think it's OK says, the fact is it sucks and is unnecessarily convoluted, complicated and in no way user friendly. It justifies the existence of disconnected programmers and unnecessary IT consultants.

Sure we can figure out a work-around.

Bill's bastard child 8.1 has probably cost the purchasers a billion dollars in lost production world wide, on top of the "improved" operating system he made us buy.

Spell check is automatic you don't have to look for it but if you want to know where it is its under the review tab. Again you and many posters seem to be confusing Office with windows.

Not sure where you are getting your data concerning production with the new windows and updated programs. Inspections and reports that would take my staff 3-4 days to do we can do in one. Design work in combining Autocad and word documents are easy to do. A 400 page EAI would take a week and a half to do we are able to do in 2-3 days. It's getting to point where we are working our way out of work. Our estimators and engineers are putting out better and faster bids.

We been using the system for over a year and a half. You have been using it for what a month how many hours have you been on it? Since switching we have won 20 out of 25 major projects in the past 6 months in the Southwest.

By the way there are many people out there that like it and use it, just because they aren't on this minor blog site doesn't make their opinion any less viable.

Congratulations.

I agree with all your comments except one, BG did not "MAKE US BUY" Win8.x, those who have it bought it of their own free will....no ifs or buts!!!

I went to Ubuntu......but I still have 2 other WinXP laptops as well, but no Win7 anymore either, though I liked it a lot. The reason being that the older Laptops are too slow for Win7, my previously Win7 laptop is an I7 with Quad Cores.... on which Ubuntu runs like greased lightning.....but still a lot to learn thats new.....

But direct contact with the programmers of most of the software is something new and really great!!!

Everyone is really friendly too.....

Office is much improved? I had to BUY the office software because it did not come pre installed. I had MS Vista on My old computer and it was a breeze to operate. unfortunately My old computer went south and I had to purchase a new one just before Christmas. MS 8.1 Installed on new computer I HATE IT!

OILCAN13

I guess you just don't know how to wheel and deal. Both my personal and surface pro 3 have professional office on it my personal one can free with the computer the surface is a work so the paid for a bundle package for all of them. the company I work for has 12 field engineers and 15 in house engineers, estimators, and surveyors. I have not heard any complaints at all. Like I said maybe you need to give it sometime new technology sometimes scares people especially if they been using the same old tired technology. I know some old times that had a hard time upgrading from typewriters. ; )

I was informed at "BEST BUY" that new computers no longer come with MS OFFICE installed. Something about litigation with other soft ware vendors. "Don't no how to wheel and deal" I guess not ,I don't work at an office with all the credentials You put forth. And Yes I still have a flip phone.

oilcan13

My personal laptop was through Dell, since I went factory direct and it was customized a number of different software packages came free with. It's best to look around before making a purchase so you get the best deal. Without experience of using apps I can see why 8.1 would be different heck 7 would different compared to xp and vista.

I had to buy a new labtop and it has 8.1. I figured out easily enough, don't like the apps, they have them set up to purchase most of them, just like cell phone apps at the apps store.

One major difference that I don't like, if you're familiar with it, is the process to getting into the BIOS. BIOS looks the same, when you get into it, however you don't get into by pressing esc or F1 or F8 during boot up. You have to go through a series of pages from that side bar that pops out from the right hand side, and you have to look it up on line to get the path because each page has several options to choose from and none of them say BIOS. I think you have to go through 3 pages and the computer restarts each time you go to the next page.

It saves having to watch for it on boot up so you don't miss that brief opportunity to press esc, but all the steps seems a little excessive to me.

I'm not a computer geek. I also think that the majority of people using computers are not into all the ins and outs of computer lingo. For that reason I think the people who write these operating systems would be well advised to have a non-geek try running the system before they even think about a beta release. this would save everyone a lot of frustration. this would cost a few bucks more and take a little more time but in the long run would be worth the effort. Maybe WIN10 is the answer, we'll have to wait and see.

oilcan13

Where's CP/M when you really want speed and simplicity?

That is a "Blast from the Past". Thanks.

I loved CP/M.....

I guess you never listen, lyn. I remember you posted topic on this prior to your purchase. now you're p*****.

Desperation leads to poor judgment.

Point is, it doesn't do anything better, it's just far harder to use.

then you create an operating system on your name. you know everything in this world by birth no?stop criticising others first. you create an operating system and then talk. hey all the world who are using windows 8.1 we got a great knowledge person than satya nadella. dont worry this person can create a os of his own.